4 Ways to Recruit Girls to Try Computer Science

Computer science is foundational to many fields, but not enough girls are choosing to study it. Here are some proven methods for encouraging girls to take interest:*

1. Recruit girls with their friends

Reach out to other teachers, clubs, teams, or groups of friends at your school. Some girls may need a nudge to consider computer science, and will feel more comfortable trying it with friends, so they won’t be the only girl in the class.

2. Inspire with examples

Share how young women are thriving in computer science. Show them our inspirational videos or these videos featuring young women. Or invite female computer scientists a few years older than your students to share how they got into the field (Ask the local university CS department for help).

Click on these role models below to learn about their computer science stories:

4. Show how computer science can help in every field - from medicine to law to business

Computer science is about making a difference in the world, creating new things, and helping others. It’ll help you succeed, whether you want to be a doctor, a lawyer, a journalist, or even the next President.

For more ideas, check out these helpful links:

*Our recommendations summarize learnings from interviews with and written materials from CS educators, psychology researchers, as well as material from NCWIT, DotDiva, Google, and other organizations dedicated to growing participation of women in technology.